END OF THE RUN FOR CANADA
Morocco delivered a ruthless second-half performance to beat Canada 3-0 and reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals, ending the co-hosts’ remarkable run.
Canada started brightly in Houston, creating the better chances during an energetic opening 45 minutes. Jonathan David and Tani Oluwaseyi both forced impressive saves from Yassine Bounou, but Morocco weathered the early storm with their trademark defensive discipline.
The breakthrough arrived five minutes after the restart when Azzedine Ounahi found space on the edge of the box and fired a precise finish beyond Maxime Crépeau. Canada pushed forward in search of an equaliser but struggled to break down the Moroccan defence, leaving themselves vulnerable on the counterattack.
Ounahi struck again in the 82nd minute, calmly finishing to put the result beyond doubt before substitute Soufiane Rahimi added a third deep into stoppage time to complete a clinical victory.
While Canada’s historic run ends in disappointment, Jesse Marsch’s side leaves the tournament with immense pride after reaching the knockout stages for the first time in the nation’s history.
Morocco, meanwhile, continues to build on its growing reputation as one of world football’s elite nations and will face France in a mouth-watering quarter-final showdown.
